


what country girl seduces your wits

by girlsonthetv



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Anguished Declaration Of Love, Canon-Typical Violence, Clair Casually Hates Men, F/F, Fluff, Spooning, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 14:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13789890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlsonthetv/pseuds/girlsonthetv
Summary: “We can’t always be honest with the men in our lives.” Clair said. “But you can be honest with me.”"I'll remember that." Faye said.





	what country girl seduces your wits

"Salutations, Faye!" Clair beamed from astride her pegasus at Faye on the ground. Faye tugged at the hem of her dress and stared at Clair with a look best described as bored disgust.

"Uh, hi." Faye said disinterestedly.

To say Clair's confidence flagged a bit would be altogether too generous. “Alright, then...goodbye, Faye!” Clair flew off to the opposite end of the battlefield, berating herself for assuming Faye would be interested in talking now of all times. She wasn’t much of a talker in camp, either. Except to Alm.

A shout of “Wrong move!” caught her attention, and she turned to see Faye casting Seraphim on a brigand that had slashed Alm’s arm. The man’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he flew backwards, dead before he hit the ground. Blood leaked from his ears and stained the grass. For a moment, Faye looked horrified by what she had done, eyes wide and mouth open, hands trembling.

Alm smiled gratefully, and Faye's entire demeanor shifted with a suddenness and speed that would have startled Clair, had she not seen it before a million times over whenever Alm so much as looked at Faye. Faye smiled, angelic, and ran back into the fray. Maybe Clair was imagining things, but Faye’s grin looked a little forced.

Clair knew the feeling of having one’s eyes opened to the hideousness of killing and death. She might like to take Faye aside and tell her it was okay to feel weird about it. Clair wondered sourly if she could ever even have the opportunity if she didn’t have green hair. It wasn't too much to ask to want to befriend one of the only other girls her age in the Deliverance, was it?

/

It was a warm and clear day with a stiff breeze, and Clair and Faye were on laundry duty. Clair had only recently learned how to do laundry, Gray and Tobin both all too glad to show her how. It was almost relaxing, the slosh of the water in the buckets and the smell of the soap. There were other ways to be productive than fighting and training, she was learning. She kept looking over at Faye and opening her mouth to speak before seeing Faye's pensive expression and electing not to. When Faye finally spoke, it caught Clair by surprise.

"What?" Clair responded belatedly.

"You keep wanting to talk to me, so talk. What's up?"

Clair looked into the laundry bucket, chuckling. "What changed your mind about talking to me?"

"I've been talking to Silque, and it's less annoying than I thought it would be. I've never really...talked to another girl my own age before." Faye shifted nervously, as if even revealing that was too much for Clair to know. "But I like it. It's nice. So...I'm interested in becoming friends, if you still want to."

"Of course I do!" Clair yanked her hands out of the water and splashed a bit of it on herself by accident. She began to wring out the tunic she was supposed to be washing, embarrassed at herself for being so eager. "All I really wanted to say was...I understand that you're coming to fight from a farming lifestyle, and I understand if it's difficult to...reconcile what you are doing with what we're taught as children - that is, not to hurt other people. Of course, I don't mean to condescend." Clair added quickly. "It's just...I see you on the battlefield sometimes, how your hands shake and your eyes go wide whenever you get a good hit in. I understand those nerves, because I felt them. The first time I actually killed someone, I was nearly sick." Clair chuckled at the memory that wasn't at all funny. "I'm still nervous in the thick of battle, because it's awful! I know the men are always going on about what a privilege it is to fight for one's nation and all that bother, but war is a disgusting thing, Faye. It's alright to hate it a little." Clair looked up to see Faye with a funny expression. Her eyes shone, and she shook her head a bit before responding.

"Wow. I thought you were just some snotty noble girl, but...you're actually really sweet." Faye's smile was just as lovely as it was whenever she smiled for Alm. Maybe even lovelier. Clair felt her heart jump.

"Oh, thank you! I do try my best." Clair beamed. "We can't always be honest with the men in our lives, but you can always be honest with me, Faye."

"I'll remember that." Faye said as she turned back to the laundry, and they finished up with no further conversation. As they were putting the clothes into baskets to carry back to camp, Faye suddenly turned to her and asked, "Have you ever made a daisy chain before?"

Clair looked around at the bunches of wildflowers growing despite the sorry state of the soil. "No, I'm afraid I haven't." She had heard talks between her brother and Lukas and Alm about invading Rigel, and they weren't far from the border. She wondered if they had wildflowers in Rigel. If they did, what kinds?

"Do you want me to show you?" Faye had already put her basket down and sat in the grass, patting the spot next to her.

Clair paused and followed suit as Faye began to pick fresh white daisies, quick yet gentle so as not to damage the delicate flowers. Clair began to pick flowers until she had a bunch of daisies about the same size as Faye's. "Okay, so first you split the stem with your thumbnail, about halfway down, but don't break it in half."

They made daisy chains until Clair was certain people would start to ask after them, Faye demonstrating how to thread the daisies through little slits made in the stems to make necklaces or circlets. "I can't believe you've never done this before." Faye said at one point, around late afternoon. "Daisy chains were so integral to my growing up."

"I can see why. It's fun." Clair said. "What else do you like to do?"

"Well...I like to read books from the city. I guess everybody does, though." Faye looked down at her lap. "I guess I'm not that interesting outside of Alm."

“You’re plenty interesting without Alm.” Clair said with a wink.

Faye blushed and looked away. “Flatterer.”

Clair thought she could get used to a friendship like this with Faye.

/

“Oh, what on earth?” Clair pouted as she examined a tear in her robin egg-blue shirt that hadn't been there before their last battle. “Where might that have come from, do you think?”

Faye looked up from where she was watching Alm and Kliff start a fire. They had just ceased marching, now beginning to make camp as the sun began to dip below the horizon. “I don’t know. Maybe a sword.”

Clair huffed in acknowledgement of Faye’s sarcasm. “Now what am I going to do?”

“Sew it back up?” Faye looked at Clair in bewilderment. “What else?”

Clair reddened. “I...I’m afraid I never learned how to sew. I was always conveniently ill whenever a housemaid offered to teach me.” She couldn’t look Faye in the eyes. It was times like this she felt every bit of the difference between their stations.

“Well, where’s your tent? I can show you, but you’ll need to take your shirt off.” Clair was in too much shock that Faye was offering to notice the slight blush on Faye’s tan cheeks.

Forsyth and Lukas had just finished setting up tents. They all looked the same, but the two girls found Clair’s easily by the identifying Pegasus feather Clair had pinned to the fabric. Faye chuckled as they ducked in. Clair took off her torn shirt. “Alright, how do I fix it?”

Faye’s blush was more noticeable now as she took in Clair’s shirtless form. “You’re. Uh. You’re awfully muscular for a noble girl.”

“What? Oh, yes.” Clair said, equally flustered by the attention. “Hefting a lance while one rides takes a lot of strength.”

Faye had already focused on busily searching through her little beaded bag for the needle and thread, she said, she always kept on her. “Okay, so I’m going to use a back stitch. If you only know one stitch, this is probably the one to know. It’s very useful.” Faye said as she threaded the needle and tied a knot. She pushed the needle back and forth through the fabric as easily and quickly as if she was born doing it.

Clair watched her in mild awe. “You’re really good at this.”

“I have to be. Nobody tailors my clothes.” Faye smiled wryly. “Gray likes to joke that it's what makes me useful."

"Not healing major injuries in seconds?" Clair teased. "Faye, pardon me for saying so, but Gray doesn't know anything about what makes you useful, whatever that's supposed to mean. You have all kinds of helpful skills. Even if you didn't, you're a joy to be around."

Faye was quiet for a minute, and Clair worried she had overstepped her boundaries. "...Thank you." Faye said softly as she finished up sewing; it didn't take long, as the tear wasn’t horribly large. Clair slipped it on - and was she imagining things, or did Faye look a little disappointed?

“I’ll be going now.” Faye said, averting her eyes. “See you.”

“Thank you! Goodbye!” Clair said with a wave, but Faye was already gone.

/

The arrow was meant to hit Alm. He noticed it just a touch too late.

Clair never knew Faye could run that fast.

Blood gushed from her shoulder in ugly red rivulets, not at all the rich scarlet of tapestries.

Someone screamed. It might have been Clair.

“Take her back to camp.” Alm urged as he placed Faye delicately on the back of Clair’s pegasus. Clair nodded, her face as pale as if she was nearly dead. “Get her out of here.”

Battles are horribly loud, between the battle cries and the clang of steel and the shrieks of pain, but the only sound Clair heard as they flew like a comet back to camp was Faye’s soft, strained breathing.

/

“How could you do that, Faye?” Clair whispered as she knelt next to Faye’s cot in the medical tent. Faye’s eyes were half-open, having regained consciousness. “How could you be so reckless?”

“You’re one to talk about recklessness, Clair.” Faye said hoarsely, smiling weakly.

Clair laughed, the sound more like a harsh sob than anything. Tears rolled down her face, and Faye gently brought her hand to Clair’s cheek. “Don’t cry, Clair.” Faye said softly. “The army will go on without me.”

“The army will go on without you! Alm will go on without you!” Faye flinched, and Clair only briefly regretted saying it. “I won’t! I can’t!” Clair sobbed. “I love you, Faye.” Clair breathed, chest heaving; feeling, somehow, lighter.

“Clair, you need to leave. Faye needs to rest, and I need to heal her further.” Tatiana said gently, hand on Clair’s shoulder. Clair sniffled and stumbled out, having said all she could. She didn't see Faye watch her go, contemplative through her haze.

Later, Tatiana would find Clair curled up tightly in a ball outside the medical tent, sleeping fitfully on the ground. She will smile and ask Zeke if he could kindly carry Clair to her tent. She will watch Zeke go, Clair in his arms, and she will remember how she did the same thing, once, when Zeke was healing so long ago.

/

Clair woke up in her tent, disoriented, and saw Faye sitting beside her in the dark. There was barely a smudge of indigo dawn on the horizon outside, and the rest was pure pitch. She gasped and brought a hand to her chest, giggling despite herself. “You startled me.”

Faye shifted nervously. “Sorry.” Her expression was grim.

They sat like that for a moment, silence rapidly becoming tense. “I meant everything I said last night...or was it this morning?” Clair said softly. “My recollection of time is a bit fuzzy.”

“I think it was this morning.” Faye said, staring at her lap.

“Regardless, I really couldn’t bear it if you died in Alm’s name and left me all alone. There really are so few girls in the Deliverance.” Clair added, even though both of them knew it wasn’t about that.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” Faye said suddenly, looking up at Clair with an intensity that briefly stunned her. “I don’t know if my devotion to Alm is...the healthiest thing. I’ve been coping with all of this by saying it’s for Alm, but that doesn’t matter, does it? War is awful. You told me so. That’s just how things are, and...” Faye sniffed and swiped at her eyes before continuing, “It’s okay if it bothers me. I wanted to thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome, Faye.” Clair said. She felt a bit like she was moving through a dream as the sky gradually lightened. Everything was blurred around the edges.

“I realized something else, too.” Faye said, her smile growing wider as she spoke. “I don’t want to die for Alm. Not while you’re around. I want...I want to be with you as long as this war goes on, and after.”

Clair brought her hands up to Faye’s sweet, sincere face. “Are...are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Depends on what you think I’m saying.” Faye closed her eyes.

When Clair was no more than a breath away from Faye’s lips, Faye said, “I’ve never kissed a woman before.”

Clair smiled. “I think you’ll like it.”

Their lips met in a soft, gentle, forgiving touch that somehow managed to knock all the breath out of them. The sun reached its golden fingers under the flap of Clair's tent as they kissed hesitantly, still wondering if this was okay, if it was the right thing. Their kiss gradually deepened as they realized how little things like that mattered, in a time like this, during war. They were alive, and they loved each other, and that was reason enough to hold each other like this.

"Did you like it?" Clair asked when they broke apart for need of breath.

Faye nodded fiercely. Clair giggled and drew Faye close to her in a hug that was forgiving but still tight; attempting to communicate without words that she would keep Faye's heart as safe as she could ever want it to be. "Can I sleep here for a little bit?" Faye mumbled into Clair's chest. "I'm still woozy from some potion Tatiana gave me."

"Of course you can, my love." Clair almost purred.

Faye blushed and grinned and murmured something incomprehensible before climbing into bed with Clair, Clair's nose in Faye's hair. It smelled like the lavender oil Faye liked to buy from village markets and put behind her ears from time to time to help her sleep. Clair thought she could definitely get used to it as the both of them drifted off to sleep.

/

"Mother Mila, protect me in my time of need..." Faye chanted as her and Clair glided casually over camp atop Clair's pegasus, Faye's arms wrapped tight enough around Clair's middle to constrict something important, probably. Clair had offered to take her for a flight during their period of rest, and Faye had agreed, so long as they kept low to the ground, and didn't go "super fast."

"Faye, we're barely four feet off the ground. We're barely going five miles an hour." Clair soothed, trying to keep the tinge of amusement out of her voice.

"This is it. This is the end for me. Tell Nana I cared for her to my last..."

Clair got the message and touched down back at the unofficial training ground near the edge of their camp. She carefully helped Faye to the ground on her shaking legs, and stroked her back until she calmed down. "I don't think flying is for me." Faye mumbled.

"It isn't for everyone." Clair reassured her. They stood and hugged for a while until Tatiana called Faye over for something. Before Faye left, Clair pressed a kiss to her cheek, provoking a blush from Faye as she ran off. Clair leaned against her pegasus and contemplated how much her love for that girl had grown exponentially since that fateful night/day.

A very unsubtle fake cough prompted her to look to her left to see Gray awkwardly kicking a patch of grass. She groaned inwardly and plastered on her best placating smile. "Gray, I'm terribly sorry, but as you just saw, I'm spoken for."

"No, actually, I didn't come to ask you out." Gray said nervously. "I actually came to tell you that I'm not gonna pursue you anymore. Because." Gray lowered his voice. "Because since last night, I'm dating Tobin now."

The both of them had been on the night watch the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that. Clair was honestly a bit surprised it had taken this long. They clicked with each other in a way her and Gray never had. "That's wonderful!" Clair beamed, genuinely happy for Gray, even though he could be annoying.

Gray smiled bashfully. "Yeah, it's great."

They stood in silence for a minute as Clair watched Faye get pointers on how she held her staff from Tatiana. "Hey, don't break her heart, alright? She's like a little sister to me." Gray said in his trademark casual tone, but with a sharpness Clair had never heard before and would like to never hear again. "If you do...well, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet, because you're a nice person and I don't wanna hurt you too bad. But - "

"Gray, if I break Faye's heart I will beg you to destroy me." Clair said, the seriousness in her voice taking Gray aback from the looks of it.

"Damn. Alright." Just like that, Gray was back to his usual crass self.

They both ran off to train. When the sun was beginning to set and members of the Deliverance were beginning to put down their weapons and pick up kitchen knives, Faye hugged Clair despite the sweat on her body and kissed her gentle and sweet, and Clair hugged her back despite her arms aching. Gray noticed that Faye's posture was more relaxed now. More confident. It was then, looking at them, that Gray knew his fears of Clair breaking Faye's heart were unfounded. They really were good for each other, in a way he never would have realized.

**Author's Note:**

> wow look at that something I can actually be proud of unlike my last echoes fic!!!!!! a mutual of mine on twitter got me thinking abt claye and its a good ship lads. they're good kids.


End file.
